A spokeswoman for a pro-Palestinian group behind several attempts to breach Israel's Gaza blockade by ship says it will shut down the group's Cyprus headquarters, but won't stop sending ships to the Palestinian territory.
Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement said on Saturday the group could relocate its offices to London and that plans to send another flotilla of ships to Gaza in the early fall is still on.
Berlin said the group will close its Larnaca office on Monday and members will return to their respective countries for now.
"We're not going to stop, were going to move our location," Berlin said. "I think we've put Israel into a corner and we'll keep it up."
Israeli forces seized the group's cargo vessel loaded with tons of aid before reaching Hamas -ruledGaza on Saturday without meeting resistance. An Israeli raid Monday on a Gaza-bound flotilla that Free Gaza organized along with five other activist organizations left nine dead aboard a Turkish ship, sparking an international outcry.
'Why should we stay'
Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Saturday that Israel would continue to enforce the three-year blockade as long as Hamas doesn't meet conditions for international acceptance, including a renunciation of violence and recognition of Israel.
Berlin said the move was because of Cyprus' decision last month to ban any ships from sailing to Gaza from its shore to protect its "vital interests."
The group used the eastern Mediterranean island about 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Gaza to launch a total eight boat trips to the Palestinian territory from Aug. 2008 to December 2009. Israel has allowed ships through five times, but has blocked them from entering Gaza waters since a three-week military offensive in Gaza against Hamas in January 2009.
"If Cyprus is going to make it difficult for us, ?" said Berlin.